Our capital is a little uptight—particularly after 9/11, it's easy to send the calm city of lobbyists and think tank dweebs into a frenzy. Idea: let's blast a Space Shuttle strapped to a 747 over everyone's heads.

The Hill reports the decommissioned Space Shuttle Discovery, on the way to its resting place with the Smithsonian, will have one hell of a final flight on April 17th, 10 to 11 am:

While the exact route is still to be determined, the shuttle - strapped atop the space agency's custom Boeing 747 - should fly over the National Mall, National Harbor and Reagan National Airport.

All of this at 1,500 feet, which is about three times the height of the Washington Monument—but still very, very low for a Space Shuttle strapped to the top of another plane. This will likely be one of the most spectacular photo ops in DC since the Brits torched the White House—we can't wait to see pics. But let's hope the jittery military presence down there doesn't miss a memo and shoot the whole thing down. Although that would really be the greatest photo op. [The Hill]